Mexico, Canada and the European Union have condemned United States President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports next month, a move that has fanned fears of a trade war.
Trump signed proclamations late on Monday raising the U.S. tariff rate on aluminium to 25% from his previous 10% rate and eliminating country exceptions and quota deals as well as hundreds of thousands of product-specific tariff exclusions for both metals.
The measures, which will take effect on March 12, will apply to millions of tons of steel and aluminium imports from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries that had been entering the U.S. duty free under the carve-outs.
Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday – today, February 11 – that the tariff decision was “not justified” and “unfair”.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tariffs “unacceptable”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined the condemnation, saying the 27-nation bloc would take “firm and proportionate countermeasures”.
Von der Leyen was meeting U.S. Vice President JD Vance at an AI summit in Paris at press time.
The move will simplify tariffs on the metals “so that everyone can understand exactly what it means,” Trump told reporters.
“It’s 25% without exceptions or exemptions. That’s all countries, no matter where they come from, all countries.”
Trump said he would follow with announcements about reciprocal tariffs on all countries that impose duties on U.S. goods over the next two days, and said he was also looking at tariffs on cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
Asked about threats of retaliation by other countries against his new tariffs, Trump said: “I don’t mind.”
U.S. 2024 vs 2023 steel product imports by country of origin.
In figures likely to further irk Trump, Germany’s trade surplus with the U.S. reached a record level last year of 70 billion euros ($72.3 billion), according to data from the German statistics office.
European Commission head Von der Leyen said she deeply regretted the U.S. decision, adding that tariffs are taxes that are bad for business and worse for consumers.
EU steel exports to the U.S. have averaged about 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) a year over the past decade.
“Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered, they will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures. The EU will act to safeguard its interests,” she said in a statement.
One option for the EU would be to reactivate the tariffs it imposed in 2018 that were suspended under a truce agreed between Von der Leyen and then-U.S. president Joe Biden.
The EU tariffs on U.S. products such as bourbon, motorcycles and orange juice are currently suspended until the end of March.
The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), representing U.S. companies active in Europe, also criticised the move as harmful to jobs, prosperity and security on both sides of the Atlantic.
“The damage will extend beyond just the steel and aluminium sectors, impacting all businesses that rely on these materials throughout the supply chain,” it added in a statement.
Trump’s latest trade salvo pushed gold prices to a record high on Tuesday on safe-haven demand in Asian trading before retreating.
Steel imports accounted for about 23% of American steel consumption in 2023, according to American Iron and Steel Institute data, with Canada, Brazil and Mexico the largest suppliers.
Canada, whose abundant hydropower resources aid its metal production, accounted for nearly 80% of U.S. primary aluminium imports in 2024.
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